Electric cord attachment for irons



Jan. 2, 1951 G. A. HOLLAND ETAL 2,536,996

ELECTRIC CORD ATTACHMENT FOR IRONS Filed July 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet lATTORNEY Jan. 2, 1951 A. HOLLAND EI'AL ELECTRIC CORD ATTACHMENT FORIRONS 2 Sheefls-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1945 o ENVENTOR 6,4. hay/ m 0 BYA. H. \04 07% W ATTQRNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES EPATEENTOFFICE;

ELECTRIC COR-D ATTACHMENT FOR IRONS Glen A. Holland, Bronxvilla' Nl YQ,and'Howard;

H. Schott, Greenwich. Conn, assizrnors to The Yale & Towne ManufacturingCompany; Stamford; Connz, a corporation of Connecticut.

Applicationluly 13, 1945, Serial No. 604,828

6"Glaims. 1' This invention relates to an'electric iron, and moreparticularly to-meansfor securing an electric cord to an electric iron.Even" more particularly, this invention relates to'that class of devicesfor securing an electric cord to an iron in such amanner as to-make theiron readil'y'reversible for'right and left hand operation.

Devices of this type have been known in the art for quite some time, andthere are several patents showing different means for obtaining thegeneral'results thus far outlined herein. Our invention contributes aconsiderable improvement' over the prior art devices'in that theelectric cord is adapted for projection from the'iron' to one side orthe other ofthe' handle; and is also adapted to project upwardlysomewhatso' as to facilitate the manipulation of the iron withoutinterference from the cord. This relationship of the cord to the ironforms one feature of our invention.

Another featureof ourinvention resides in the means whereby the cord isreadily" assembled to the handle of' the iron for laterass'embly to theiron itself We have thus outlined the more important features ofourinvention in order that our contribution to the art may be betterunderstood andin order that the relation of our contribution to theprior art may be better comprehended;

We dobelieve that our contribution is a broad :s

and valuable one and that we are entitled to patent claims thatwillprevent newcomers in the field from utilizing our contribution tothe art with such variations in physical structure'as will readily occurto those skilled in the art. while we have described generally severalimportant'feature's of our invention, there are other important featurethat. will be described particularly in the specification and will beclaimed in the'claims appended hereto.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig; l is a perspective View of an ironin which our invention is embodied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of.

the rubber sheath and the rotating sleeve to which the" electric cord issecured; and with the limiting detent shown inoperative relation to thesleeve. Fig; 3- is a section taken through the handle of the ironshowing the cord secured thereto and relatively to the rotating sleeve.Fig. 4 is a section of a part of the-ha-ndle'showing the parts of thecord securing means in exploded view. Fig. 5 is a section taken alonglines 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an end view of the sleeve and the parts towhich it is secured, looking in the direction of the arrow 6 of Fig. 3.

Also,

Referring" now more particularly to the I draw ings, reference numeralit indicates generall an iron: relatively to which issecured a handlereferred to generally by reference numeral ll. This handle is:preferably made of some plastic material and'is formedwith a gripportion 2; a forward standard it, and arear portion i l-that we. callthe rear standard. The handle I l is formcd-withan opening i5 that is incommunicationwith a chamber or hollow is cast within the handle as isbest seen inFigs'. 3 and-4.

The electric cord for our-iron is designated'by reference numeral IT andcomprises a pair of suitably insulated wires l8: within an" insulationmember l9? Those'ends of the wires I8 terminating'within'the iron aresecured by a pair of screws 2hto suitable elements, as'tho se skilled inthe art will appreciate; The other ends of the wires l8 are ofcourse-secured to a suitable. type of electric plug. Between the plugand the screws 28, the cord l1 passesthrough a bearing sleeve 2! and arubber sheath 22; The rubber sheath 22 is formed" integrally'with thesleeve 2 I by being cast onto the said sleeve, and more particularlyabout the threads 23- forming part of the said sleeve; The relationshipof the sleeve .2! and the sheath 22 is such that the cord ill will beheld by the sheath at right anglesto the axis of the sleeve.

The sleeve itself has a pair of flanges 24 and 2'5'between which isformed a cylindrical bearing surfaceQfithat is adapted'to be applied-toa bearing surfaceZl-formed on the bracket 28' cast integrally with thehandle H. It is the function of the bearingsurf'aces 2% and 21 of thesleeve 2 I' and-bracket 23,; respectively to mount the sleeve 21for-rotation; was to position the sheath22 in either-itsfulllineposition of'Fig. 6'orits dotted line position of Fig; 6;therebyconvertingthe iron from a left hand to right hand iron and viceversa.

Thefianges 24 and zfifunction, as isbest ap parent from Fig; 3, to holdthe sleeve against any axial movement relativel to the bracket" A pairof screws 3i! secure a retaining plate 31' to the bracket 28 in positionto hold the'sleeve 2! against thebearing surface 2'5; The screws 3!!further secure a detent member- 32' in position so-that' its;\l-portion' may cooperate with the v-notches 34' and 35 formed on flange250i the sleeve 2!. It is of course obvious that the detent 32 will thusyieldingly retain the sleeve in either one of its opposed positions asis defined by the notches 34, 35.

In assembling the electric cord to the iron, the

cord is first passed through the sheath 22 and the sleeve 2| as is bestillustrated in Fig. 4. The sleeve is then applied to the bearing surface21 of the bracket 23 and the retainer plate 3| and detent 32 are securedin position by the screws 30 all as best illustrated in Fig. 3. Thewires l8 within the chamber or hollow 16 are then secured in proper oerating relation by screws 20, while the outer ends of the wires l8within the conductor I! may be secured to a terminal plug as is usual inthis art. The electric cord is now completely assembled to the handleand is ready for application to the iron. It is of course obvious thatthe cord w ll move readily with the sheath 22 and the sleeve 2! toconvert the iron from a right hand to a left hand and vice versa, as maybe found des rab e. It will also be appreciated that in either of itshanded positions the electric cord will extend outwardly and upwardlyfrom the handle of the operator on the grip I2. and thereby faci itatethe manipulation of the iron.

We now cla m:

1. In an iron of the c ass described, a handle having a grip portion anda hollowed standard portion formed with a large bottom opening, saidhandle havin a relati ely small o enin through its up er exteriorsurface just rearwardly of the grip portion and leadin to the hollow ofsaid standard, an electric cord for sa d iron. a sleeve for said cord, abearin surface for said sleeve formed on a surface inside said ho lowedportion of the stan ard whereby said s eeve may be inserted with sa dcord into said ho lowed standard throu h said bottom o ening and thesleeve ap lied. to the said bearing surface as the electric cord isassed through the small o ening at substantially ri ht angles to thatportion of the cord within said sleeve. and retainer means for holdingsaid slee e on said bearing surface for rotation relati ely thereto.

2. In an iron of the class descr bed, a handle havin a rip portion and aho lowed standard portion having a lar e bottom opening, said hand ehavin a relative y small opening through its upper exterior surface justrearwardly of the grip ortion and leadina to the hollow of saidstandard, an electric cord for said iron, a sleeve for said cord, abearin surface for said sleeve formed on a surface inside said hollowedportion of the standard whereby said sleeve may be inserted with saidcord into said hollowed standard throu h said bottom opening and the seeve applied to the said bear ng surface as the electric cord is passedu wardly through the small o ening at substantially ri ht angles to thatportion of t e cord. within said sleeve, and said bearing surface beingpositioned for rotation of said sleeve on an axis substantially at rightangles to that portion of the cord moving in said small opening.

3. In an iron of the class described, a handle having a grip portion anda hollowed standard portion having a large bottom opening, said handlehaving a relatively small opening through its upper exterior surfacejust rearwardly of the grip portion and leading to the hollow of saidstandard, an electric cord for said iron, a sleeve for said cord, abearing surface for said sleeve formed on a surface inside said hollowedportion of the standard whereby said sleeve may be inserted with saidcord into said hollowed standard through said bottom opening and thesleeve applied to the said bearing surface as the electric cord ispassed through the small opening, said bearing surface being positionedfor rotation of said sleeve about substantially a horizontal axis in thenormal operating position of said iron.

4. In an iron of the class described, a handle having a grip portion anda hollowed standard portion having a large bottom opening, said handlehaving a relatively small opening through its upper exterior surfacejust rearwardly of the grip portion and leading to the hollow of saidstandard, an electric cord for said iron, a sleeve for said cord, and abearing surface for said sleeve formed on a surface inside said hollowedportion of the standard whereby said sleeve may be inserted with saidcord into said hollowed standard through said bottom opening and thesleeve applied to the said bearing surface as the electric cord ispassed through the small opening.

5. In an iron of the class described, a handle having a grip portion anda hollowed standard portion having a large bottom opening, said handlehaving a relatively small opening through its upper exterior surface andleading to the hollow of said standard, an electric cord for said iron,a sleeve for said cord, a bearing surface for said sleeve formed on asurface inside said hollowed port on of the standard and integraltherewith whereby said sleeve may be inserted with said cord into saidhollowed standard through said bottom opening and the sleeve applied tothe said bearing surface as the electric cord is passed through thesmall opening, and a pair of flanges on said sleeve overlying the endsurfaces of said bearing surface for preventing endwise movement of saidsleeve relatively to said bearing surface.

6. In an iron of the class described, a handle having a grip portion anda hollowed standard portion, said handle having a relatively smallopening through its upper exterior surface leading to the hollow of saidstandard, an electric cord for said iron, a sleeve for said cord, abearing surface for said sleeve formed on a surface inside said hollowedportion of the standard and integral therewith whereby said sleeve maybe applied to the said bearing surface as the electric cord is passedthrough the opening at substantially right angles to that portion of thecord within said sleeve, a pair of flanges on said sleeve overlying theends of said bearing surface for preventing endwise movement of saidsleeve, and a retainer plate secured to said standard for holding saidsleeve against said bearing surface.

GLEN A. HOLLAND. HOWARD H. SCHOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,915,131 Kuhn et al June 20,1933 2,249,620 Samuels July 15, 1941 2,257,506 MacDonald Sept. 30, 19412,299,468 Dai-forn et a1 Oct. 20, 1942 2,308,515 Kistner Jan. 19, 19432,332,374 Fagan Oct. 19, 1943

